KRAFTON Reportedly Agrees to Pay Subnautica 2 Bonuses as Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill Steps Down
KRAFTON has reportedly agreed to pay bonuses connected to Subnautica 2, while Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill is stepping down as part of a legal settlement.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, the agreement follows a long dispute around KRAFTON, Unknown Worlds, studio control, and a performance-based earnout tied to the 2021 acquisition of the Subnautica developer.
The story matters because it is not only about one payout. It is about what can happen when a studio acquisition, creative control, launch timing, and performance bonuses all land on the same pressure point.
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A bonus dispute around a huge early access launch
The bonus dispute became one of the most visible business stories around Subnautica 2. KRAFTON acquired Unknown Worlds Entertainment in 2021, with the deal including a performance-based earnout worth up to $250 million if certain targets were met.
Earlier this year, a Delaware court ordered Ted Gill reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds after finding that KRAFTON had improperly removed him. The ruling also extended the period in which the earnout criteria could be met.
Subnautica 2 launched in Early Access on May 14, 2026, and quickly became a major success. The game sold 2 million copies in its first 12 hours and reached 467,000 peak concurrent players on Steam. Across Steam, Xbox, and the Epic Games Store, Unknown Worlds reported a peak of 651,000 concurrent players.
What changed now?
The new Bloomberg report, summarized by VGChartz, says KRAFTON has agreed to pay bonuses to the entire Unknown Worlds staff as part of a legal settlement.
The same report says Ted Gill will step down from the studio, with Gill saying new leadership is the best way for Unknown Worlds to move forward.
That is a major change from the original acquisition structure. According to the same summary, the original bonus agreement covered the top three executives and employees who were at Unknown Worlds during the 2021 acquisition, while the new agreement gives everyone at the studio a payout.
Why this matters for players
For players, the key point is that Subnautica 2 is live and still in active Early Access development. The business dispute appears to have reached a settlement, but the game itself now has to keep building on a massive launch.
The legal story may be the headline today. The long-term test is whether Unknown Worlds can keep expanding the game with the updates, feedback, and stability players expect from a major Early Access release.
Subnautica 2
Release: May 14, 2026 — Early Access
Genre: Underwater Survival Adventure, Co-op, Early Access
Developer / Publisher: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Platforms: PC — Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Game Pass
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Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, Unknown Worlds, Steam, The Verge, Game Informer, and VGChartz.
Written by Ronny Fiksdahl, Founder & Editor of Fix Gaming Channel.
Send interview pitches, corrections, tips, or developer stories to contact@fixgamingchannel.com.
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